'Flight delayed by 10 hours, no AC': Indian man recounts ‘52-hour nightmare’ trip to Delhi

An Indian man narrated a harrowing travel experience spanning over 52 hours during an emergency trip from New Zealand to Delhi, calling out the “complete mismanagement and negligence” by different airlines.

In a LinkedIn post, Hardik Ahuja said that his family had to urgently travel to India after his to visit his grandfather admitted to the ICU with pneumonia. Flying from Christchurch, Ahuja alleges that the problems began with his IndiGo flight from Singapore to Delhi.

He claimed that the IndiGo flight was delayed by over 10 hours. "The departure board said 3 am, the staff said 4 am, then later claimed the plane was stranded in Delhi due to “operational issues” — eventually flying out after 6 am. Passengers were mistreated, given no support, no certainty, and no care," he wrote.

In a statement, IndiGo told HT.com that the flight was delayed due to “operation issues” and apologised for it.

“Flight 6E1014 from Singapore to Delhi was delayed on April 11, 2025 due to technical reasons. Customers were provided lounge access, meals and alternate travel options. Some passengers chose to deboard and take an alternate flight/ airline at their own expense. The flight departed after the necessary checks,” the statement read.

‘Disaster’ trip

Scared that he might not reach home to see his grandfather in time, Ahuja said he decided to buy last-minute Singapore Airlines tickets for $2,400 NZD (approximately ₹1.2 lakh) out of pocket.

During the return leg, he alleged the situation spiraled into "disaster.” He claimed that even though he reached Delhi's IGI airport four hours early, it took two hours to just check in.

"Only 3 counters open for all Indigo flights. 2 hours just to check in. Flight was delayed again — “normal” for Indigo, apparently. We sat on the plane in hot wooden-plank-style seats, no AC, waiting for takeoff," he wrote.

Midway through the flight, he claimed the pilot announced that the flight could not get ATC clearance to land in Singapore and did not have sufficient fuel, requiring an emergency landing in Kuala Lumpur.

The passengers were held on the tarmac for two hours, he alleged, adding that they were eventually flown to Singapore almost nine hours after leaving Delhi. By then, their Qantas connection to Melbourne had long departed, and Ahuja claims over 20 passengers were left stranded without immediate rebooking or explanation.

IndiGo told HT.com that the flight was diverted to Kuala Lumpur dued to adverse weather and air traffic congestion. “Flight 6E1013 from Delhi to Singapore on April 20, 2025 was diverted to Kuala Lumpur due to adverse weather and air traffic congestion in Singapore, resulting in a delay. Affected passengers were provided with hotel accommodation and were rebooked on the next available flight. At IndiGo, passenger comfort and safety is our top priority, and we strictly adhere to the regulatory guidelines. We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate our customers' understanding and patience,” a statement said.

‘Passports, tickets taken’

He further alleges that they were rescheduled for flights 25 hours later, compounding their ordeal.

The final blow, Ahuja claims, came at Changi Airport before boarding their rescheduled Qantas flight to Sydney. He alleges that ground staff withheld boarding passes, demanding proof of return tickets to New Zealand, despite Ahuja and his family being permanent residents. Despite showing multiple documents, including passports and visas, Ahuja claime they were held for an extended period before finally receiving clearance to board.

“I truly asked myself — why did I ever book with Qantas? After what felt like forever, they finally received clearance and let us board. This was my journey to see my grandfather. It wasn’t a vacation — it was an emergency. And I was failed at every step,” Ahuja wrote.

HT.com has reached out to Qantas for a statement. This story will be updated when a reponse is received.

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